Tanzania’s efforts to achieve universal clean cooking solutions received a significant boost with the recent handover of an emission analyzer to the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) under the EU-funded CookFund Programme. The event, held in Dar es Salaam, is set to transform the testing and certification process for clean cooking appliances, allowing for accurate gas emissions analysis and reduced testing costs.
Dr. James Mataragio, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, hailed the analyzer as a pivotal advancement in the country’s clean energy transition, enabling the certification of appliances and supporting innovation. Tanzania aims for 80 percent of households to adopt clean cooking solutions by 2034, improving public health and environmental outcomes.
Mr. Marc Stalsmans, Head of Cooperation at the European Union, praised the government’s commitment and emphasized the EU’s ongoing support for clean energy initiatives in Tanzania. He noted that the analyzer will significantly benefit innovators and manufacturers by lowering testing costs and accelerating the standardization of safe cooking appliances.
Implemented by UNCDF, the CookFund Programme has already provided results-based grants to 78 enterprises, aided 41 public institutions in adopting clean cooking technologies, and created over 11,600 jobs while benefiting more than 1.7 million people. Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara from UNCDF highlighted the analyzer’s role in accurately measuring the environmental and health impacts of clean cooking technologies.
TBS Director General Dr. Ashura A. Katunzi stated that the new equipment will enhance testing capacity and reduce certification costs, marking a significant step toward standardizing clean cooking appliances in Tanzania. She also expressed the need for ongoing support to extend similar initiatives to other regions, such as Mbeya and Mwanza, to further strengthen national capabilities.